diff --git a/src/lib/server/dashboard.test.ts b/src/lib/server/dashboard.test.ts
index 5f1fc98..06c45b8 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/dashboard.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/dashboard.test.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe("dashboard runtime loader", () => {
   test("seeds and loads the active dashboard from sqlite", async () => {
     const store = await createTestStore();
 
-    const runtime = loadDashboardRuntime(store);
+    const runtime = loadDashboardRuntime(store, { seedIfEmpty: true });
 
     expect(runtime.state).toBe("ready");
     if (runtime.state !== "ready") throw new Error("expected ready dashboard");
@@ -46,6 +46,17 @@ describe("dashboard runtime loader", () => {
     expect(runtime.document.metadata.title).toBe(genericDashboardFixture.metadata.title);
     expect(store.listRevisions()).toHaveLength(1);
   });
+
+  test("returns empty state when no dashboard is active and seeding is disabled", async () => {
+    const store = await createTestStore();
+
+    const runtime = loadDashboardRuntime(store);
+
+    expect(runtime.state).toBe("empty");
+    if (runtime.state !== "empty") throw new Error("expected empty dashboard");
+    expect(runtime.title).toBe("No Dashboard Model");
+    expect(store.listRevisions()).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
 });
 
 async function createTestStore() {
diff --git a/src/lib/server/dashboard.ts b/src/lib/server/dashboard.ts
index 6a55985..d2bfc39 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/dashboard.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/dashboard.ts
@@ -42,21 +42,24 @@ export interface DashboardRuntimeInvalid {
   errors: string[];
 }
 
+export interface DashboardRuntimeOptions {
+  seedIfEmpty?: boolean;
+  seedDocument?: DashboardDocument;
+}
+
 export function loadDashboardRuntime(
   store?: DashboardStore,
+  options: DashboardRuntimeOptions = {},
 ): DashboardRuntimeState {
   const dashboardStore = store || createDashboardStore();
 
   try {
-    const seeded = dashboardStore.seedDashboardIfEmpty(dimensionLabDashboardFixture, {
-      actor: "initial-seed",
-      message: "load initial dashboard document",
-    });
     const active = dashboardStore.getActiveDashboard();
-    const document = active?.document || seeded.document;
-    const currentRevisionId = active?.currentRevisionId || seeded.id;
+    if (active) {
+      return readyRuntimeState(active.document, active.currentRevisionId);
+    }
 
-    if (!document) {
+    if (!options.seedIfEmpty) {
       return {
         state: "empty",
         title: "No Dashboard Model",
@@ -65,12 +68,15 @@ export function loadDashboardRuntime(
       };
     }
 
-    return {
-      state: "ready",
-      document,
-      schemaVersion: document.schemaVersion,
-      currentRevisionId,
-    };
+    const seeded = dashboardStore.seedDashboardIfEmpty(
+      options.seedDocument || dimensionLabDashboardFixture,
+      {
+        actor: "initial-seed",
+        message: "load initial dashboard document",
+      },
+    );
+
+    return readyRuntimeState(seeded.document, seeded.id);
   } catch (error) {
     if (error instanceof DashboardPersistenceValidationError) {
       return invalidRuntimeState(error.failure.errors);
@@ -86,6 +92,18 @@ export function loadDashboardRuntime(
   }
 }
 
+function readyRuntimeState(
+  document: DashboardDocument,
+  currentRevisionId: string,
+): DashboardRuntimeReady {
+  return {
+    state: "ready",
+    document,
+    schemaVersion: document.schemaVersion,
+    currentRevisionId,
+  };
+}
+
 function invalidRuntimeState(errors: string[]): DashboardRuntimeInvalid {
   return {
     state: "invalid",
diff --git a/src/routes/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/+page.server.ts
index 114bfe5..c779342 100644
--- a/src/routes/+page.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/+page.server.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ import { loadDashboardRuntime } from "$lib/server/dashboard";
 
 export function load() {
   return {
-    dashboard: loadDashboardRuntime(),
+    dashboard: loadDashboardRuntime(undefined, { seedIfEmpty: true }),
   };
 }